Articles in South Korean Movie Reviews
Never to Lose (2004) Movie Review
There have been a lot of films done in the “Lethal Weapon” style of moviemaking, many of them by imitators right here in the United States , but Americans rarely get the chance to see how it’s done in the rest of the world. Thanks to import video merchants, American viewers [...]
February 18th, 2006 | Joseph Savitski | 0 Comments | Read MoreAntartic Journal (2005) Movie Review
“Antarctic Journal” apparently took five years to complete, a fact which suggests that debut Korean writer-director Im Pil-sung possesses the same dogged determination and endurance as his characters. The film is difficult to categorise, being equal parts supernatural mystery, psychological tease and survival thriller. The film’s premise is certainly promising, insofar as it represents a [...]
February 17th, 2006 | James Mudge | 1 Comment | Read MoreMr. Socrates (2005) Movie Review
“Mr. Socrates” is the first film proper from Choi Jin Won, whose only previous credit of note was co-directing “Memento Mori” (the sequel to influential teen horror “Whispering Corridors”), and is another in the long line of hip, stylised crime dramas which have been pouring out of Korea over the last few years. Sadly, this [...]
February 15th, 2006 | James Mudge | 0 Comments | Read MoreDiary of June aka Bystanders (2005) Movie Review
Kyung-soo Lim’s “Diary of June” enters a Korean market already well treaded by films about formerly docile women on the road to bloody, and sometimes shocking vengeance. Counting among this suddenly popular subgenre is Park Chan Wook’s much-hyped “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance” and the not-so-hyped “Princess Aurora” with Jeong-hwa Eom. Sharing more in common with [...]
February 11th, 2006 | Nix | 1 Comment | Read MoreHAAN Han Gil Su (2005) Movie Review
While the attack on Pearl Harbor has been depicted in films from the American and Japanese perspective, few people know of North Korea ’s involvement in the events that took place on Dec 7, 1941 . Now the efforts of Haan Kil-Soo, an unsung hero of World [...]
February 7th, 2006 | Joseph Savitski | 0 Comments | Read MoreThe Showdown (2005) Movie Review
Here’s a secret about the low-budget Korean martial arts movie “The Showdown” — it starts off poorly, proceeds even worst, but by the halfway point the film starts to morph into something respectable. Not a great movie by any stretch, mind you, but nevertheless strangely enjoyable. Sort of. If you’ve heard that “The Showdown” is [...]
January 31st, 2006 | Nix | 0 Comments | Read MoreWelcome to Dongmakgol (2005) Movie Review
“Welcome to Dongmakgol” proved to be the sleeper Korean hit of 2005, earning enough to become the fourth biggest grossing domestic film of all time, as well as being chosen as the country’s entry for the Oscars. However, the film’s success has not spread beyond its native shores, having been ignored by international festivals and [...]
January 13th, 2006 | James Mudge | 1 Comment | Read MorePrincess Aurora (2005) Movie Review
As the proverb goes, there’s nothing more dangerous than a mother determined to save her endangered young. But even more dangerous than that? A grieving mother with nothing left to live for except revenge. The kind of bloody, “best served cold” type of revenge that will make you squirm and at the same time cheer [...]
January 10th, 2006 | Nix | 1 Comment | Read MoreThe Duelist (2005) Movie Review
Approximately 8 minutes into Myung-se Lee’s “The Duelist”, it suddenly occurred to me (accompanied by a feeling of dread) that the film’s star, Ji-won Ha was channeling her character from “Slave Love” (aka “100 Days with Mr. Arrogant”), except this time she had a sword. That really is the best way to describe Myung-se Lee’s [...]
December 27th, 2005 | Nix | 1 Comment | Read MoreApril Snow (2005) Movie Review
If you’re into Asian movies even just a little bit, then you’ve probably heard of the South Korean drama “April Snow” at least once (or a few hundred times, give or take) throughout 2005. The film has been hyped every which way across the Asian continent, and its leading man practically sold into servitude to [...]
December 20th, 2005 | Nix | 17 Comments | Read More
It looks like a dud. I saw the trailer. Tom is the only person speaking with an American news network ...
nothing they payed fox.... 
OMG!!!! 
